Distributed authentication at a physical premises

Abstract

According to an aspect there is provided an ambient commerce system. The ambient commerce system may include a sensor at an ambient commerce premises, a communication module, and a processor coupled to the sensor and the communication module. The ambient commerce system further includes a memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores processor-executable instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to: detect, based on an output of one or more of the sensors, an unauthenticated entity at an ambient commerce premises; receive, from a first independent trusted system and via the communication module, an indication that authentication has been performed by the first independent trusted system for the unauthenticated entity using a first authentication parameter; determine that the entity is an authenticated entity based on the indication that the authentication has been performed and at least a second authentication parameter; and perform an ambient commerce operation for the authenticated entity.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 one or more sensors positioned at a physical premises for detecting an unauthenticated entity at the physical premises; 
 a communication module; 
 a processor coupled to the one or more sensors and the communication module; and 
 a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing processor-executable instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to: 
 detect, based on an output of at least one of the one or more sensors, the unauthenticated entity at the physical premises; 
 receive, from a first independent trusted system and via the communication module, an indication that authentication has been performed by the first independent trusted system for the unauthenticated entity using a first authentication parameter; 
 receive, from a second independent trusted system and via the communication module, an indication that authentication has been performed for the unauthenticated entity by the second independent trusted system using a second authentication parameter; 
 determine that the entity is now considered an authenticated entity based on the indication that the authentication has been performed by the first independent trusted system for the unauthenticated entity using the first authentication parameter and the indication that authentication has been performed for the unauthenticated entity by the second independent trusted system using the second authentication parameter; and 
 perform an operation for the authenticated entity. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second independent trusted system is separate and remote from the system. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the unauthenticated entity is an authenticated entity includes determining that the authentication has been performed based on at least a threshold of authentication parameters. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second authentication parameters include one or more of:
 a facial profile; 
 a voiceprint; 
 a fingerprint; 
 a credential; 
 a location; and 
 a behavioural indication. 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second authentication parameter is determined based on a sensor output of at least one of the one or more sensors. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first independent trusted system is a financial institution system. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the indication includes stored profile data, and wherein determining that the unauthenticated entity is an authenticated entity based on the indication that the authentication has been performed and at least a second authentication parameter includes comparing data obtained from at least one of the one or more sensors to the stored profile data. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the stored profile data includes one or more of:
 a facial profile; 
 a fingerprint; 
 a credential; 
 a voiceprint; and 
 a behavioural indication. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the indication indicates that a particular entity has been identified as being at the physical premises. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further configure the processor to:
 determine that a particular entity may be at the physical premises based on the second authentication parameter; and 
 in response to determining that the particular entity may be at the physical premises, send, to the first independent trusted system, a request for the indication. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the indication is formatted to uniquely identify the first independent trusted system, as a source of the indication. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the indication is formatted to uniquely identify the first independent trusted system using a private key associated with the first independent trusted system and wherein the instructions further configure the processor to:
 decrypt the indication with a public key associated with the private key. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are cameras. 
     
     
       14. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 detecting, based on an output of one or more sensors positioned at a physical premises, an unauthenticated entity at the physical premises; 
 receiving, from a first independent trusted system, an indication that authentication has been performed by the first independent trusted system for the unauthenticated entity using a first authentication parameter; 
 receiving, from a second independent trusted system, an indication that authentication has been performed for the unauthenticated entity by the second independent trusted system using a second authentication parameter; 
 determining that the entity is now considered an authenticated entity based on the indication that the authentication has been performed by the first independent trusted system for the unauthenticated entity using the first authentication parameter and the indication that authentication has been performed for the unauthenticated entity by the second independent trusted system using the second authentication parameter; and 
 performing an operation for the authenticated entity. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second independent trusted system is separate and remote from a system performing the method. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein determining that the unauthenticated entity is an authenticated entity includes determining that the authentication has been performed based on at least a threshold of authentication parameters. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second authentication parameters include one or more of:
 a facial profile; 
 a voiceprint; 
 a fingerprint; 
 a credential; 
 a location; and 
 a behavioural indication. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second authentication parameter is determined based on a sensor output of at least one of the one or more of the sensors. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first independent trusted system is a financial institution system.